Benefits of Regular Dog Grooming

From Hygiene to Health: The Top Benefits of Regular Dog Grooming in Bath & Kingston, ON

Though it’s a bonus, regular grooming isn’t just about making your dog look like they’re ready for a magazine cover. It plays a significant role in your pup’s hygiene, skin health, comfort, and even behaviour. At The Loyalist Barkway, located in Bath just minutes from Kingston and Amherstview, we see every day how routine grooming can improve a dog’s life—AND their human’s stress levels.

Here’s why waiting until your dog looks like a walking dust mop is a risky game.

🛁 1. Proper Hygiene Means Fewer Smells, Less Dirt, More Cuddles

Let’s face it: dogs are professional dirt magnets. Even our shorthairs can smell like the swamp now and then and we have some guests run straight toward the puddles when they check in. It gives new meaning to mudbaths. Regular grooming helps keep their coat clean, reduces dandruff, and prevents the build-up of dirt, oils, and whatever they decide to roll in at the park.

✅ Cleaner fur

✅ Fresher smell

✅ More people are willing to let them on the couch

It isn’t about bathing however, but brushing to keep their coat slick and clean.

✂️ 2. No More Painful Skin Splitting from Mats

When a dog’s hair becomes severely knotted, it can pull on their skin, causing irritation, bruising, or even skin tearing. Yes, it’s as awful as it sounds, especially on the toes and places like the armpits.

Mats also prevent airflow, leading to hot spots, fungal infections, and discomfort. It generally reminds us of why we breed shorthaired dogs instead of long ones.

✅ Regular brushing and grooming keep the coat smooth

✅ Healthy skin can breathe properly

✅ No need for emergency full-body shave sessions. No one wants to see that. Trust me.

🧍‍♂️3. Dogs Learn to Stand Still (a Life Skill They Rarely Come Born With)

Grooming sessions help dogs become comfortable with standing still, being handled, and staying calm during care. Over time, anxious wigglers often become confident grooming pros. In the process, this permits you to

✅ Build patience and trust

✅ Teach puppies grooming routines early

✅ Make standing still become less “Why must you do this to me, human?” and more “Okay fine, I’m majestic.”

✅Stop the bi-monthly trips to the pharmacy for meds to knock them out

That patience has some real-life benefits too. No more discomfort when someone touches their feet or neck and on top of that, like a yogamaster, your pup will find the centre and be able to remain calm under pressure.

🚀 4. Grooming Becomes Faster (and Cheaper!) Over Time

Dogs who are groomed regularly tend to be easier to handle, less stressed, and have fewer mats—making the grooming process faster and far less labour-intensive.

✅ Less time on the table

✅ Lower grooming costs

✅ Fewer “mat removal fees.”

✅ No surprise shave-downs due to coat neglect

🐶 5. Avoid Full Shave-Downs Due to Matted Coats

Nobody dreams of sending their fluffy Shih Tzu in for a cute trim and picking them up looking like a shaved potato with legs. Though it feels like it in the moment, groomers aren’t trying to ruin your day—sometimes severe matting leaves no safe alternative.

✅ Regular brushing + professional grooming prevents mats

✅ You get to keep your dog’s fluffy, stylish coat

✅ No dramatic before-and-after shave memes in the family group chat

📍 Proudly Serving Bath, Kingston, Amherstview, Napanee & Eastern Ontario

At The Loyalist Barkway, we believe grooming should be stress-free, compassionate, and based on your dog’s coat type, comfort level, and lifestyle. Whether you’re maintaining a poodle’s show coat or keeping your lab fresh between swims, we’ve got you covered.

Regular grooming is going to achieve

💚 Healthier skin

💚 Happier dogs

💚 Lower bills

💚 Less chaos on grooming day